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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Writing as an Endurance Sport

I've joined NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and it's been a whole new experience of writing. I have never been a writer to worry about word count before. The count never crossed my mind. In the back of my head, I knew that publishers had word count limits and I would have to learn to count eventually.

I decided to explore NaNo Word Sprints on Twitter. They are wonderful, entertaining and downright basic training for novelists. OW! I am definitely getting a workout.

Since I got serious about getting books published, I have plunked myself down in my chair with @NaNoWordSprints to cheer and drill me on. And I have discovered that I am physically way out of shape!

Anyone who says writing is not a physical occupation is not serious about writing. OW! Sitting in my chair for 4 hours minimum, focused, plunking on the keyboard, twisting my head to look at notes, plunking some more, staring at the screen, dashing back through words to correct a glaring typo, and occasionally dozing with my head on the keyboard…all of these things are telling me my body is not prepared for the endurance sport of writing sprints or marathons (I am a marathon writer).

I wake up stiff, carpo tunnel is threatening, my arms and legs feel like I literally have just run a marathon, and I am going to need a chiropractor…or a new chair…

Time to get ready for that Writing Physical Fitness Plan!

I am now doing the stretches a bike rider and/or runner would do. Arm spins, leg stretches, that kind of thing, before I sit down at my computer. I also do a keyboard warm up by trying to do a blog post. I know I am going to need more. I am not one to go to a gym, so a Wii Fit is definitely on my Christmas list. Writing Workout Regime, here I come!

(There's a bug in my comment boxes, making it impossible to know if comments are working or not. If you see a comment box, I would love to hear from you! If you don't see a comment box, please tweet me your comments! @risurocket Thanks! Incidentally, the word of the day is Plunked. ;) )

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The Meaning of Sisu

Sisuis a Finnish term loosely translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance and acting rationally in the face of adversity. However, the word is widely considered to lack proper translation into any other language. Sisu has been described as being integral to understanding Finnish culture. The literal meaning is equivalent in English to "having guts", and the word derives from sisus, which means something inner or interior. (from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisu - See also Cultural significance on that site)